Clover is a tiny female winged unicorn, with laughing eyes and a light green mane. Like so many of the Gemstone Glade unicorns, she possesses a unique gift, one which she enjoys very much.

She uses it today, neighing softly. Deep in the wood, not far from Gemstone Glade, magic is ignited. Gently, Clover touches a three leaf clover with her horn. It turns slowly in to a four leaf clover, the new leaf unfurling as if beckoning brightly to a better tomorrow.

Photo by Dustin Humes on Unsplash

Clover spreads her wings, the four leaf clover in her mouth. She does not know where she is going, but will understand when she arrives why she is there. She lets her wings take her where they will.

She flies over forests and hills, and then is in the “in between” land. Clouds swirl around her and she can see very little. This is the bridge between her enchanted land and that other – less magical – place, called Planet Earth. She knows that, somewhere at the end of these clouds, a child is waiting for her. He or she may be asleep, but somehow they know she will be coming. It is always the way.

Finally, she finds herself floating to a high bedroom window. She knows it is a bedroom, because it always is.

A little boy in pyjamas opens the window, eyes wide with fright and fun combined. She opens her mouth, and the four leaf clover flies in to his hand.

Clover looks deep in to his eyes, smiling with her soul. Then she departs, leaving her token of magic behind.

Nicholas fingers the four leaf clover, a shy smile playing with his lips. Is he still dreaming? Sleepily, he climbs back into bed, the clover in his hands.

He dreams he is sleeping in a giant four leaf clover, which starts to fly. As he sleeps, wind plays with his hair. He wakes as they land in a pretty forest glade, with giant rose quartz crystals – like sentries -at the edge of the trees. There is a fountain, with a unicorn drinking from it. Nicholas giggles as he jumps from the four leaf clover and joins the unicorn. “My name is Heaven, and I can take you to far away mystical lands.” “I am already far away in a mystical land!” laughs Nicholas.

He wakes the next morning to find a crumpled four leaf clover in his hand. It had all been a dream.  Tears prick his eyes, but of joy or sadness he does not know. Perhaps he will return to the dream tonight.

Carefully, he lays the four leaf clover on his desk. When he arrives home from school, the leaf is bigger, about five times the size. He looks at it curiously but with no fear.

The next day, the leaf covers the whole desk. Nicholas is bemused. He places his favourite teddy on the leaf, then opens the window to let in some sunlight, anything to chase away the dream dust and iron out his confusion. Something brushes his shoulder. Looking round, he ducks as the clover leaf flies over him and out the window, edges curling up as it fights its way outside.

Nicholas watches in dumb disbelief as it flies away, over the rooftops and in to the clouds. He will never see his teddy again. Tears tear at his eyes, but he will not cry. He is bigger than that.

That night, he dreams he is picnicking with his teddy in the magical forest. His teddy is alive and talks to him, button eyes gleaming. Nicholas laughs so much at the teddy’s jokes, that he spills his juice all over his pyjamas. They eat delicious cakes and watch fairies fly around the glade, each a different colour. Happiness rocks him in its arms.

A pink fairy flies towards him, and places something in his hand. “Keep this, and your memories of Gemstone Glade will linger forever. Hold this whenever you need help.”

Nicholas wakes up. Dawn dusts his window with its happy new day cleaning cloth. He yawns, covering his mouth with his hand. As he does so, something falls in to his lap. It is a tiny rose quartz four leaf clover. Nicholas picks it up and holds it to his heart. He knows now that he has real friends, perhaps far away in a magical forest glade, but there nonetheless. Friends that no one else would believe in. But he believes. He will cherish the crystal clover leaf, and keep it safe – and secret – forever. A smile lights up his face, like a clover growing its fourth leaf. Magic is real.